A U.S. Border Patrol agent in west Texas has pleaded guilty to conspiring to buy firearms and more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into Mexico.New Mexico federal prosecutors say 29-year-old Ricardo Montalvo of El Paso, Texas, entered into a plea agreement Friday. He faces up to five years in federal prison when he's sentenced Nov. 9.Montalvo was arrested along with his girlfriend in April after a federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment.They were accused of acting as straw purchasers of at least nine firearms between November 2010 and January 2011, along with more than 100 high-capacity magazines and thousands of high-caliber bullets of the type used by Mexican cartels.Montalvo has been on administrative desk duty since the investigation began in January 2011.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

A U.S. Border Patrol agent in west Texas has pleaded guilty to conspiring to buy firearms and more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into Mexico.

New Mexico federal prosecutors say 29-year-old Ricardo Montalvo of El Paso, Texas, entered into a plea agreement Friday. He faces up to five years in federal prison when he's sentenced Nov. 9.

Montalvo was arrested along with his girlfriend in April after a federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment.

They were accused of acting as straw purchasers of at least nine firearms between November 2010 and January 2011, along with more than 100 high-capacity magazines and thousands of high-caliber bullets of the type used by Mexican cartels.

Montalvo has been on administrative desk duty since the investigation began in January 2011.